


Shh... Just Five More Minutes...

by serendipitousReckonings



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, ML Writer's Guild, ML Writer's Guild September 2020 Event, Panic Attacks, god so much fluff, ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 02:15:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,351
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27086950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serendipitousReckonings/pseuds/serendipitousReckonings
Summary: It's finals week and instead of studying, Marinette's been chasing after an elusive size-changing akuma all morning. When she finally manages to catch up to it, low and behold, she finds Adrien Agreste trailing after it. When she scolds him for going after it instead of letting the heroes do their job, she goes a little overboard. She feels terrible afterwards and vows to make it up to him.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 7
Kudos: 76
Collections: Miraculous Writer's Guild September Event 2020





	Shh... Just Five More Minutes...

**Author's Note:**

> Originally for the ML Writer's Guild's September Fic Event, but life punched me in the face so it's a month late.
> 
> A ginormous thank you to FallingOceans, AlexSeanchai, Deinde-Prandium, and Genesedai for beta-ing for me! And an equally ginormous thank you to the incredibly supportive and patient MarvelousMsMol <3 I couldn't have done this without you guys.

  
  


Ladybug groaned internally as she swung over the external wall and into the courtyard of the school. _Of course_ there was an akuma attack the day before an exam. The school was supposed to be mostly closed so that they could _study_. 

“But nooooo, Hawk Moth just _can’t_ stop akumatizing people for one friggen week!” she huffed. A few quick glances around told her that most of the students had taken advantage of the ability to stay home on a school day. 

As she stood there scanning through the akuma alerts on her communicator, Ladybug tapped her foot in annoyance. She’d barely slept over the past three nights, between cramming for her exams and the usual patrol schedule. _Today was_ ** _supposed_** _to be my day to recuperate so I could be fresh for the exam but I_ ** _guess_** _that’s not happening now,_ she thought miserably. She’d been tracking the akuma via the alerts all across the city for the better part of the morning and the most recent one had led her to the school. Most of the reports hadn’t been anything more than “#akumaalert! Spotted at l’Arc de Triomphe” “#akumaalert! Spotted at les Champs Elysées,” but a few had included pictures and mentions of its powers. Evidently this _Minimizer_ could, appropriately enough, shrink anything with the flick of a costumed wrist. Several monuments had already been shrunk, and it was currently unknown how many people had been shrunk or even how small they’d been shrunk down to - it apparently varied. She closed her communicator and pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes, taking in a deep breath.

“I’ve got to get it together… Hopefully Chat will have some ideas once he gets done with... whatever it is he’s doing.” Normally, she’d be irked at him for taking his sweet time to come help her with an akuma, but he’d seemed weirdly excited about the coming week when they’d last talked. All he’d mentioned was that he’d be busy gearing up for something big and that he was really hoping to do well. She could hardly begrudge his excitement over something like that. In fact, she might not have noticed the akuma alerts herself if she hadn’t been taking a study break. _Now that’s a thought… I bet he hasn’t even looked at his phone in hours. I should send him a message. His kwami ought to be able to alert him then._

As she typed out a quick message to Chat asking him to _pretty please_ get his butt to the school ASAP, the double doors to the third floor library shrunk into nothingness with a muted boom. A black and white figure stormed out - they appeared to be wearing a strange, slate gray jumpsuit covered in math equations written in chalk, a large less-than sign emblazoned on their chest - just as Ladybug leapt into the shadows under the staircase.

“Who are _they_ to tell me what books are more important than others? I’ll shrink every single copy of those stuffy old books to nothing and then no one will _ever_ have to read them again!” Minimizer stalked down the stairs towards the building’s exit as they continued their tirade. “And once it’s all gone, no one will everhave to take _pointless exams_ on them either!”

Ladybug rolled her eyes. Sometimes the rants these akumas went on were a bit much, and this was no exception. She was about to step out of her hiding spot to confront Minimizer herself when she saw him.

Only a few feet away, Adrien Agreste had slipped out of the common room where their lockers were kept and was inching along the wall towards her hiding spot. Eyes trained on Minimizer, he seemed to be keeping pace with the akuma, albeit in plain sight of it. Thankfully, Minimizer was far too absorbed in their monologuing to notice. Marinette didn’t even have time to think before she’d snatched Adrien up and pulled him back into the common room. Out of sight of Minimizer, her heartbeat was pounding in her ears so loudly that it nearly drowned out her surroundings.

As soon as the door was shut safely behind them she rounded on him. “ _Adrien!_ What on _Earth_ were you thinking?! You could have gotten hurt - or worse! Did you even _see_ the akuma?! It was _right there!_ If it had seen you, I don't know what would have happened! Akumas are dangerous - Minimizer especially! All they would have had to do was look over! And then what of you? You've _got_ to be more _careful_ , Adrien!” The silence that hung in the air was heavy enough to finally cut through her frantic haze of thoughts to the rational part of her brain. Despite how overworked and under-rested as she was, Marinette was finally able to take in the look of utter bewilderment on Adrien's face.

"Wh-what? L-Ladybug? What are you..? What?" He gestured lamely at her. "How did y-? I mean," he paused to clear his throat and, evidently, gather himself. "Fancy meeting you here, Ladybug. I hate to be rude but if you'll excuse me, I've really got somewhere to be…" He trailed off, trying to sidestep her.

Marinette felt like her head was going to explode. She moved to intercept him as she spoke "I… I cannot believe this. There is _an akuma_ , Adrien. I can't just _let_ you go out there!" He’d opened his mouth to argue, but she quickly cut him off. “Look, I don’t care what it was that you were going to do, you _need_ to stay here. I don’t care if your _father himself_ is calling for you outside of that door, your butt is staying put.” 

"But, Ladybug, I…" he began. She cut him off again before he could try to convince her further.

“Adrien, that akuma can shrink _anything,_ and we don’t know just how small they can get! You could get _killed_ or _shrunk_ to the size of an _atom,_ never to be heard from again...let alone if you get shrunk to bug size and get _stepped on_! I am _not_ going to let that happen, so you will _sit down_ and _stay here._ " He started to interject again, but she pointed a finger at him. "No buts, Adrien! And if I catch you gone from this spot before the akuma is dealt with, I will deal with you _myself_ , are we clear?”

He deflated at that, sinking into the bench behind him - not that she noticed. As soon as she’d finished speaking, another muffled boom echoed through the courtyard outside, sending her sprinting for the door. She turned back to him for a moment before ducking out, “Stay. Here. I mean it.”

\---------------------

Outwardly, Ladybug looked downright pissed. Privately, as Marinette, she was screaming. It was only after the common room door had shut behind her that she’d realized that she’d been more than just a little hard on Adrien. _How could I? I was so mean to him! Oh God, Adrien probably hates me now! Akuma or not, there was no call for talking to him like that. I’d hate me if I were him. My life is over!_ She felt sick. _OhGodOhGodOhGodOhGodOhGod…_

Minimizer was almost out of sight by the time she’d left the school and it seemed like they were trying to outrun her. Her thoughts seemed to match her pace, racing faster and faster with every second. _What if he never speaks to me again as Ladybug?_ Her blood chilled at that thought, butshe tried hard to shake it off. She shook her head, muttering to herself, “Now is **not** the time to get wrapped up in this! You’re a **superhero**! You’ve got a job to do!”

It took her a moment to realize that the akuma had gotten away from her. Swinging up to a vantage point, she tried calling out to them. “Minimizer! You’ve got to stop this! What good is it to destroy all of this? You’ve shrunk landmarks and books - things of such monumental cultural importance! And for what exactly?”

The reply was immediate and came, unexpectedly, from behind her, “You’d never understand me, Ladybug! Can you even begin to imagine the sheer amount of _hours_ I’ve spent pouring over useless books and pdfs about dead men, their useless monuments, and tomes and _for WHAT?_ Just because someone arbitrarily declared it important? That’s _bullshit!_ But I’m sure you’re going to try to stop me because you’re selfish! You’re a _part of the problem!_ Do you know how much history I’ve had to learn _just because of you_?” Ladybug whirled on him only to have to zip to another rooftop as the building underneath her shrunk away in a beam of light. 

As Minimizer gave chase, she began alternating her sprints and swings in the hope that she could stay ahead of the shrinking blasts. “It’s useless, Ladybug! You’ve only seen a _fraction_ of my abilities and you’re already running for the hills! If you give up now, I promise I’ll only shrink that big head of yours a little.”

"You'd have to catch me to do that!" She called over her shoulder as she dove off of the roof and into an alleyway in an attempt to lose him. Breathing hard, Marinette glanced around to get her bearings. As she did, she caught a glimpse of herself in a puddle - disheveled hair and bloodshot eyes that even Tikki's rejuvenating magic couldn'thide. More than anything, she was startled at just how similar she looked to her normal self. Sure, there was the suit and mask, but after being transformed for so long and being run ragged all across the city today the magical veneer that protected her identity had begun to crack. _What if I remind him too much of Ladybug, even out of costume, so he never talks to_ ** _Marinette_** _again either?_ She slammed her hands over her mouth in horror, covering the sob that bubbled up in horror.

She tried to slow her breathing as it continued to puff through her fingers rapidly. _Calm down. Calm down. Cry later. Paris first. Paris first… Paris first..._ Marinette took a few shaky breaths as she repeated the chant to herself, her shaking hands lowering slowly. “I can do this… I can do this… Deep breaths,” she whispered softly. She steeled her nerves before swinging off into the city, hopefully to meet up with Chat Noir.

\---------------------

Taking up a vantage point on top of a bar a short distance from the Eiffel tower, she began pacing in an attempt to slow her racing thoughts. _Oh God… Oh no..._ _If Adrien won’t talk to me, we’ll never fall in love!_ She turned to check the tower - it was bound to be Minimizer’s next stop considering it was on their history exam the next morning. “Yep, it’s still there…” and returned to her pacing. _And if we don’t fall in love, we’ll never get married! It’s over! I can never show my face at school again!_ Stifling a frustrated snarl, she grabbed at her hair and started pulling.

She was halfway through inventing a new swear word when a friendly, if slightly harried, voice came from behind her. “Sorry about the wait, m’lady, I… Are you okay?” She froze, midstep, fingers still tangled in her own hair. As swiftly as she could, she tried to right herself.

“Uh… If I said yes, would you believe me?” Ladybug tried for a laugh, but it came out a strangled noise that only sent Chat Noir’s brows - or, at least, where she suspected them to be under the mask - into his hairline.

“Well, it might be more convincing if you weren’t growling at me. Just a tip.” He grinned at her and came over to sling an arm around her shoulders.

She shrugged herself out from under it quickly, however. Even the familiar weight of his arm was just too overwhelming for her at the moment. She was saved from responding to him by the maniacal laughter of Minimizer as they arrived.

“Oh, at long last! _La Tour Eiffel!_ How I’ve waited for the day I wouldn’t have to worry about this _stupid hunk of metal_ ever again!”

Chat leaned close to her and whispered, “Okay, Bugaboo, any ideas?” The look on her face must’ve given away too much. His usual, easy smile dropped into a frown when she didn’t answer him. “Actually, are you sure you’re okay? Maybe you should sit this one out as much as possible, Ladybug.” That was the sentence that broke her.

With it came the wave of panic that brought the intrusive thoughts screaming back into her head all at once: _Oh God… Even Chat doesn’t want me around anymore… If my own partner doesn’t want me, then Adrien would never be able to forgive me and we’ll never get to have a hamster together!_ She froze. She heard Chat’s shout to get down as though he was underwater - the thundering of her pulse drowning him out. The next thing she knew, she was on the ground as an oversized park bench went flying through where she’d been only moments before.

 _Green?_ All she could see was green. _No, wait… Green and black?_ _Wha- … Eyes..? Chat!_ He was staring at her intently, mouth moving urgently. Whatever it was he was saying, her brain couldn't keep up. “I don- Chat, I don’t?... Chat!” She grabbed his cheeks in her hands, “CHATON! STOP!” As his lips finally stopped moving she, at last, began to feel her world solidifying under her again. _Adrien or no, I can’t stay wrapped up like this. Chat’s counting on me._ At her nod, he tried again, and this time, she could hear him.

“I… Are you okay, M’lady? How many ears do I have?” Despite the clear sincerity and concern in his voice, she couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, that depends, Kitty, are we talking real or magic?” He narrowed his eyes at that and she relented. “Fine fine. Two cat, two huge nerd, so four total. I’m fine.” She held a hand out for his to help her up. “We’ve got a job to do, Chat. We’ll worry about me later.”

He gave her a terse smile and grasped her forearm, hauling her to her feet. “I’ll hold you to it, Buguinette.”

\---------------------

The rest of the fight went by in a blur - largely thanks to Chat’s continued distraction. Within moments it was all over, a very confused young man holding a newly repaired coffee mug awkwardly in his hands left crumpled on the ground in the wake of the Miraculous Cure. Marinette couldn’t relish the victory, however. She was numb, too caught up in her disappointment at her behavior. _First I ruined my chances with Adrien, and now I nearly get myself and Chat squished because I can’t focus. What kind of superhero even_ ** _am_** _I? I’ve let everyone down..._

“-ady..? Ladybug?” Chat’s baton snapped out in front of her to stop her in her tracks. She hadn’t even realized that she’d begun to pace rather than give him their traditional fistbump. “Hey…” He gripped her shoulder gently.

“What?” She kept her eyes glued to her feet.

“Are you okay? You were pretty out of it back there.” He tilted her chin up until her eyes met his.

“It’s… It’s nothing. I was just really stupid earlier.”

“Stupid? That doesn’t sound like you, M’lady…” His soft chuckle grated against her raw nerves like sandpaper. She must’ve grimaced because he cleared his throat awkwardly, free hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry… Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not… really.”

“Oh, c’mon, Bugaboo. It can’t be _that_ bad.”

She wrapped her arms around herself protectively before answering him. “I was really awful to someone I care about…I was just so frustrated and that doesn’t make it right, but they probably hate me now...” Her voice sounded small.

“Hey, hey now. It’s not the end of the world…” He murmured, pulling her in for a careful hug. Once she’d relaxed in his arms, one of his gloved hands found the back of her head and began stroking her hair softly, making sure not to let his clawed fingertips get caught in her pigtails. “I’m sure that whatever happened, you can make it up to them later. Besides, did they seem upset when you were talking to them?” When her answer came, it was muffled by his chest.

“I didn’t stick around to find out… The akuma was there and I was still alone.”

“Then how do you know they were upset with you? Did they say so?” At his reply, she tilted her head up to look at him, cheeks a delicate pink beneath the red of her mask.  
  


“Well… No.” Her blush deepened as he let out a soft chuckle at that.

“Then it sounds like you should probably go talk to this person, Buguinette. If they really were upset, you can work things out with them. If not, you’ll know and you can start to feel better.” She blinked at that.

“That… That might be a good idea, actually… Thanks, Kitty.” 

“Any time, M’lady.” His eyes twinkled mischievously as he gently tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. 

She batted his hand away, admonishing him as she stepped out of his embrace in mock-irritation, “ _Chat!_ Now is definitely _not_ the time for that.” She couldn’t fully cover the laughter in her voice, however.

“Time for _what_ , Bugaboo? I’m just trying to make sure your hair looks absolutely _purr_ -fect.” He crossed his arms indignantly - the entire illusion ruined by the Impish smile he couldn’t seem to fully hide. “Besides, I’ll have you know that us cats use grooming as a way of expressing affection!” 

Ladybug rolled her eyes, no longer holding back her giggles. “I bet you say that to all the alleycats.” He mirrored the grin on her own face. “I should probably get going, Chat. I’ve got some making up to do and I don’t think the guy’s going to wait around forever.”

Chat’s ears sagged a bit at that. “You’re sure you can’t stay just a little longer?” As if in answer, both of their Miraculous let out a series of sharp chirps. “... I guess neither of us can actually stick around.”

“Don’t worry, Kitty! I’ll see you soon. We’ve got patrol on Friday, remember?” She stopped as she was going to swing away and turned back to him. “Thank you again, Chat… I don’t know where I’d be without you. I’m really lucky to have a partner like you.” At the next series of chirps, she swung off towards home.

\---------------------

After a quick recharge and an even quicker trip down to the bakery, Ladybug was heading back across town to the school. It’d been hours, but there was still a chance he’d be there, waiting for her. A quick check confirmed that Adrien had, in fact, left already, which left her swinging at high speeds towards Adrien Agreste’s bedroom window. _Too fast! Too fast! Gotta -!_ She smacked against the window, barely managing to hold onto the pastry box. Trying to regain a modicum of her dignity, she knocked gently on the window she’d bumped against.

“L-Ladybug?!” The pure shock in his voice did nothing to dull the creeping blush along her cheeks. She gestured silently at the window for him to open it, eyes hopeful.

As she clambered inside she couldn’t fully hide her unease. If her face hadn’t matched her suit before it certainly did now. “Uh… Not that I mind the intrusion, but what are you doing here?”

“I… I came to apologize to you…” Her gaze dropped to her feet, fingers tangling in the twine that secured the pastry box she held behind her back. _The pastries!_ “Oh! I… I brought you these, but they may have gotten a little squished when I...” her voice dropped to an almost imperceptible whisper.  
  


“When what?” He laughed a little. “I didn’t catch what you said.” His smile sent the butterflies that had been firmly lodged in her stomach fluttering into her brain.

It took her a moment before she finally managed to respond, “Whe-when I hit your window earlier… I couldn’t seem to slow down… Sorry.” She looked at him shyly through her lashes. “But, I didn’t just come to bring you pastries. I really do owe you an apology, Adrien. I never should have talked to you like I did back at the school. I’d been having a rough day, but that doesn’t excuse it. Akuma or not, you’re a person and everyone is allowed to make mistakes…” She gestured to herself, a shaky smile on her face, “Maybe even superheroes… Could you ever forgive me?”

Adrien didn’t respond for several seconds, a look of surprise on his face. “Adrien? Adrien, are you okay?” She stepped closer to him, gloved hand waving gently in front of his face.

“I… Yeah! Yeah! Of course! Heh. I was… I was just surprised, that’s all! You didn’t have to apologize to me, Buga-M’La-LADYBUG! YES, MY GOOD FRIEND, LADYBUG!” He coughed for a moment as though he’d swallowed wrong.

Marinette’s brows knit beneath her mask for a moment as her eyes searched the room for something. She grabbed a glass of water from his nightstand and passed it to him. “Are… Are you sure you’re okay?” At his nod, she continued. “And really… I… I feel just awful. I know I was worried about your safety, but that’s not an excuse to talk to anyone the way I did. Are you sure there isn’t anything I can do?”

Adrien choked a little on his water when she said that, but held up a finger for her to wait as he pushed past it to finish off the glass. The smile he gave her once he finished was dazzling. “Ladybug, I already said that it’s okay. You were worried and I was being… Well, to be fair, I was being kind of an idiot, chasing after the akuma. I mean, what am I, _a - a superhero or something!_ ” He laughed uncomfortably, causing Marinette to wince a little.  
  
_Wow… He must be really upset…_ “Still… Please let me make it up to you.” He laughed at that, seeming much more at ease.

“Okay, okay! This was really eating you up inside, wasn’t it? I can imagine that that was hard, having to save Paris _and_ being worried you upset a civilian.” Her cheeks went up in flames again, as it was her turn to laugh awkwardly at his teasing.

“Honestly? Yeah… I kind of got in my head about everything and poor Chat Noir ended up taking the lead. Not that he’s not great at it!” she flailed, determined that her partner got the credit he deserved. “He just ended up doing everything. I was pretty much useless until the end there.” She allowed herself a small smile at the mention of Chat Noir. “Guess I really am lucky, having a partner like him.”

Adrien let out another choked cough, though he recovered fairly quickly from it. “Tell you what, Ladybug, if you still feel like you want to make it up to me for earlier, you could always stay and hang out a little? You don’t have to, but, I’ve got to admit I’m… well, I’m kind of a fan.”

It was Ladybug’s turn to splutter - though, it wasn’t so much of a splutter as it was a soft, shrieking noise as her brain lost its ability to process information for a moment. Once Marinette.exe came back online, it all made a frightening amount of sense: Those weren’t just _any_ red and black polkadotted pyjama pants he was wearing; neither were the equally spotted figurines placed proudly in the shelves around his computer; and, if she had to hazard a guess, she wasn’t the screen saver on each of his three monitors because he wanted to support the Ladyblog. _Oh… Oh, Tikki, save me… What have I gotten myself into?_

“Aaaah I… I- I WOULD LOVE TO.” She felt like she’d been struck by lightning. _No! Bad Marinette! You’re going to make a fool of yourself! You’ve got to find a way to excuse yourself without making him feel bad!_ “So what do you want to do?” Her voice was warm and the smile on her face, while tremulous, was genuine. _Why? Why do I always sabotage myself like this?_ If he noticed her inner turmoil, Adrien didn’t comment on it, though he did give her a very familiar looking smirk.

“Well, I do have Ultimate Mecha Strike III, but I’ve got to warn you, I’ve been trained by the best. My friend, Marinette, competed in the grand championships and was on the team that won!” It took everything she had not to combust on the spot. Whatever she had leftover was spent trying very hard not to completely demolish him in her usual fashion.

\---------------------

Her resolve to go easy on him lasted all of three rounds before she found herself standing on his couch, crowing her victory to the rafters.

“I won! I won! Take _that,_ Mr. Model Man!” Dissolving into a fit of giggles, Ladybug dropped back down to the seat of the couch. She noted, as she tried to calm down, that Adrien was laughing right along with her. Stifling a snort she turned to look at him, “Sorry. I know I'm a lot when I get worked up, but that one was so close! You almost had me at the end there!”

“And I would’ve won too, but you pulled that crazy combo out at the end! How in the world did you ever even _figure out_ something like that?” He chuckled, wiping a tear from his eye.

“Ah, that’s a trade secret!” She winked. Casting a pretend-furtive glance around the room she leaned in close and whispered, “Do you really want to know?” Adrien’s lips twitched in amusement, clearly trying to hold back laughter as he nodded.

“Tell me your secrets, Oh Mecha Strike Masterbug.” He said, trying hard to sound serious. She gestured for him to come closer.

“No, closer.” He drew even closer to her. “Clooooser…” His face was only a few inches from her own now, though she tried not to notice that _or_ the fact that she could now smell his cologne. She tried to make eye contact to distract herself before asking, “Do you really want to know, Adrien?” Eyes shining brighter than she’d ever seen, he nodded and closed them as she drew closer to whisper in his ear. “The secret… is to never… never ever… LET YOUR GUARD DOWN!”

With a wicked giggle she smacked him with the pillow she’d been reclining against.

“Hey! No fair! I’m an unarmed civilian! You’ve got the power of pillows and super powers on your side!” He laughed, nearly falling off of the couch. 

“Well, _Mr. Model Man_ , you’d better outfit yourself quickly if you don’t want to -!” Her grandstanding was cut short by a large throw pillow being flung directly into her face, followed by a hail of hysterical laughter on Adrien’s part.

“Sorry to interrupt your Villainous Monologue, Ladybug, but what was that you said about never ever letting your guard down?” 

Her bruised ego didn’t stop her from snorting out a laugh. “It appears I’ve taught you all I can then, young pupil… Shall we do battle then?” She did her best eyebrow waggle as she held out another throw pillow from the couch for him. 

Adrien eagerly grabbed the pillow from her and crouched into a ready position. “En garde!”

The pillow fight was as ridiculous as it was ruthless. No holds were barred and no prisoners taken - even when said prisoner resorted to tickling Adrien’s ribs after he’d knocked her pillow from her hands. Breathless and light-headed from the romp, the pair settled back onto the couch to wind down with a movie… or two.

Looking through the small storage bin he’d brought over to them, Adrien held up two different movies for Ladybug to choose from. “So, bear with me on this, what genre are you most feeling like right now? Do you want bad sci-fi/horror or romantic comedy? Because I’ve got both in spades…” He grinned, shifting them both to the same hand so he could rub the back of his neck.

“Why don’t you pick? I’m here to hang out with you, after all. Besides, I’m not much of a movie buff in the first place. I’m sure that you’ve got excellent taste.” She gave him a small smile as he thought for a moment.

“Well… I could really go for _Sharktopus vs Pteracuda_. It doesn’t even begin to take itself seriously as a sci-fi movie, but then again, _Stardust_ has Robert De Niro in drag _and_ romance and I just don’t know if I can pass that up right now.” She quirked an eyebrow at that, but chose not to comment on it.

“Hmmm… It’s only about 8 o’clock... I could probably stay for both movies if you really can’t decide.” Blushing, she added, stammering, “I- I mean, I don’t mind hanging out a little longer if it’ll make you happy.” She couldn’t meet his eyes, but felt them on her all the same.

“You know you don’t have to stay if you don’t want to, right? You’ve already more than made up for earlier, not that you ever had to in the first place.” His voice was soft and kind and made her heart speed up in her chest.

“N-no! It’s not that at all! I just don’t want to overstay my welcome!”

Adrien laughed at that. “Ladybug, you’re always welcome to stay as long as you’d like. I don’t think I could ever get sick of having you around.” Color flooded his cheeks to match her own as he spoke and the room was quiet for a moment before he cleared his throat and busied himself with setting up one of the movies. “Why don’t we start with _Sharktopus vs Pteracuda_ and see how we’re feeling after that?” At her enthusiastic nod, he hit play and settled back down next to her on the couch.

She leaned close to whisper to him, “Wait… so this is a sequel? What happened in the first one?”

“It’s honestly your standard sci-fi movie. The American government sets out to weaponize some man-made mish-mash of creatures all rolled into one big monster - that’s the sharktopus - against other governments and it goes on a killing spree leading some unsuspecting third party to kill it to save everyone.” 

“But… So if that’s true, then why on Earth did that woman rescue its baby?”

“Movie logic! Also, she’s a marine biologist and I guess she wanted to study it. Oh! Oh! My favorite part is coming up! Look!” Adrien placed his hand on hers just as the marine biologist was trying to get the sharktopus to work through the enrichment cards. Marinette was so lost in the gentle pressure of his hand on hers that she nearly missed seeing the sharktopus’ tentacle tapping on the cards for Human and Eat, the absurdity of which managed to draw her attention back to the movie.

“Oh, _come on!_ Really?” She gestured incredulously at the screen. “First he tries to eat that couple and now this??? Why even keep the sharktopus around at this point?”

Adrien laughed and patted her hand soothingly. “I know, I know! That’s part of the fun of watching stuff like this though. Everyone makes such horrible decisions and there’s almost no character arc to speak of! It’s so cheesy and great! Don’t you love how illogical and stupid everyone is?”

“I guess… This movie has a lot of convincing to do to get me back on board after this though…” She grumbled and crossed her arms across her chest.

“Oh, _you_ come on! Suspend your disbelief and come over to the dark side.” He grinned at her and slipped his arm around her shoulder to gently jostle her as he spoke. Marinette gulped, but nodded. She found herself too electrified by his touch to slip out from under it. It took a great deal of effort - and most of the rest of the movie - for her to relax under the weight of his touch, but by the time Adrien had to get up to put in _Stardust_ the day had begun to finally catch up to her enough that she found herself leaning against him at his return.

“I really think you’re going to like this one, Ladybug! Though, are you sure you’re up for this? You seem kind of tired.” She shook her head, albeit a bit sluggishly.

“No, no! I’m fine. It’s just been a long day. I can hang in a little longer though.” She gave him a bleary smile as she patted the back of the couch to find the throw blanket she’d seen there earlier. Adrien smirked and tucked it in around her gently.

“Okay, but if you get sleepy, promise me you won’t stay on my account, alright?” He tentatively reached out a hand to pat her head, similar to the way Chat had done earlier that evening. 

_At least with Adrien, I don’t have to worry about claws messing up my hair_ , she thought giddily. A small giggle bubbled up out of her chest as she nodded, burrowing herself further into the fluffy throw and Adrien’s side, perhaps just a tad delirious from lack of sleep.

By the time Tristan and Yvaine reached Captain Shakespeare’s flying ship, the soft snores of Paris’ heroes had joined the rumbling thunder of the lightning harvest.

\---------------------

The sharp screech of an unfamiliar alarm and the slight shifting of her sleeping space slowly began to break through Marinette’s protective cocoon of sleep. “Alarm… Too loud...” she moaned into her pillow, swatting vaguely in the direction of the noise.

“I know… I’ve almost… got it…” came a sleep roughened voice.

“Tikki, you know I hate it when you do impressions of Adrien.”

“Are they good impressions? I think mine is pretty _spot on_.”

Marinette burrowed further into the blankets. “It’s not usually so good.” She cracked an eye open and tried to get her bearings. “How are you do-” Her words died on her tongue as she noticed an equally sleep-addled Adrien staring down at her from where she was laying on his chest. _On his couch. In his bedroom._ With surprising speed, even for the still-suited heroine, Ladybug - as she suddenly recognized she was - scuttled off of him and onto the floor. “I.. But… And _you_ … And WE WERE CUDDLING!?” She put her hands to her hair and stood up to pace. 

“I was _cuddling_ with Adrien Agreste! I was cuddling with _Adrien Agreste!_ _I_ was cuddling with Adrien Agreste!” With each loop around the couch she kept repeating the phrase, emphasizing different parts as though that would help her divine some hidden meaning from it.

Adrien picked his head up from off of the couch in an attempt to keep track of her. “Hey, it’s okay, Ladybug. Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone! And besides, it’s not like anything happened, right?”

“I mean, of course not, but still! I shouldn’t have fallen asleep at a boy’s house on a -! _ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!_ Oh my God, _THE EXAMS_! I’m going to be late for the exams!” Before she knew it, she was crying. Adrien was by her side in an instant, trying to comfort her.

“Hey, it’s okay, Ladybug! I’m sure they make exceptions for superheroes!” His touch was gentle, but it did little to soothe her. These were the final exams of the semester and there was no way she’d be able to make them up without starting off the next semester behind.

“You don’t _understand_ , Adrien! Not even _Miss Bustier_ will forgive me for being late on exam day! I’m a wreck under this costume and there’s _no way_ I can make it home and then to school on time!” The sheer logistics of attempting that alone sent her stomach into a nervous uproar.

“I’m sure your teacher will forgive you, Ladybug… It’s not like you do this all the time. Besid-” The room began to spin around her as that thought echoed in her mind.

“But I do!” She interrupted, “I’m _always_ late. And now I’ll fail the semester or I’ll have to attend school over the break,” her breath was coming faster and faster now, tears pouring down her mask and across her cheeks as she continued, “and I’ll never get to see my friends and they’ll all forget about me and -!” Adrien’s head bonked gently against hers and suddenly all she could see was the green of his eyes. She had the impression that he was talking to her but she couldn’t hear him over the sound of her own thoughts. The echoes of the earlier fight with Minimizer only amplified her spiral. “Stop! I can’t… I don- Adrien, I don’t?... Adrien!” She grabbed his cheeks in her hands and looked directly into that doubly familiar green abyss, “ _CHATON! STOP!_ ” 

The room suddenly stopped spinning around her as the boy beneath her hands also stilled. Everything was quiet until, softly, she broke the silence. “Adrien? I’m… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to call you Chat.”

“You don’t have to apologize, M’lady. It’s... only fair, after all.” He smiled, his voice soft and hopeful, but none of it belonged to the particular golden haired boy in front of her. It was entirely, she realized for the first time, the voice of her partner. 

_Shit._

“Chat Noir?”

“Ladybug.” There it was again. Chat’s voice coming from Adrien’s mouth.

“It’s really you?”

“In the… Well, I’d say in the fur, but Plagg’s asleep right now, so you’ve just got regular me to deal with in the meantime.” He leaned back, smiling gently at her and she could have sworn her heart had never been more confused or felt more full than it did at that moment. She felt like crying again, though she wasn’t exactly sure why. “Are you okay?”

“No… I’m still missing the exam… But at least I got to find out my partner’s identity..?” She gave him a weak, watery smile.

The smile he returned was almost blinding, “Actually, I was trying to tell you this before, but I got an email from the school this morning. Apparently a bunch of students got shrunk by Minimizer yesterday and the teachers all talked Damocles into postponing the exams by a day so they wouldn’t be ill-prepared. So you’re safe to cram for another day… Marinette.”

For the second time that morning, Marinette felt the blood drain from her face, though she could hardly be bothered to raise much of a fuss while still coming down from the previous panic she’d been in.

“What…” She cleared her throat, “What gave me away?” 

Adrien laughed softly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, in retrospect, it’s not like you were doing a super great job of hiding it last night, but what really gave it away was when you mentioned Miss Bustier not being able to forgive you for being late again. There’s only one girl in our class who’s late often enough for that kind of talk.” She leaned into his touch as he talked, relishing the cool feeling of his hand on her hot cheek. “Not that I think that’s true, mind you…” He kept his hand there, softly stroking the line between her cheek and her mask.

“Is it… Is it okay if I drop my transformation?” She could barely recognize her own voice.

He nodded, eyes boring into her own, “Of course. I’m sure Tikki could use a break.” 

She closed her eyes and whispered, “Tikki... Spots off.” As the transformation left her, she felt drained, both physically and emotionally. She gave the tiny kwami a kiss on her spotted head before Tikki flew off into the rafters. Marinette lifted her tired eyes to Adrien’s, fearing what she’d find in them, gentle as he’d been with her so far.

“You know, I really should have seen it sooner.” He said, continuing to stroke her cheek, sending tingles along her spine as his thumb skated over where her mask had previously covered. “You have the same hair as black as night… The same bluebell eyes… And now, I don’t have to wonder who’s under that disguise.” His smile was so warm and sincere, she thought she’d melt. 

“And your hair still shines like the sun, with your eyes of gorgeous green… This is my dearest dream…” She pressed further into his touch. “At least, I hope it will be.”

“It will be, M’lady. I promise. Besides, if you thought you couldn’t get rid of me before we knew each other’s identities, you’re definitely stuck with me now.” He laughed. “But that can all wait. For now, I think we could _both_ use some more rest. It’s like 7 am. C’mon, let’s go back to sleep.” He stood up and pulled her with him. “You can have the bed if you like. I can sleep just about anywhere.”

“Actually… I… I wouldn’t mind picking up where we left off… It was really comfortable… B-but we don’t have to if you’d be more comfortable sleeping by yourself! I totally understand that and I don’t want to impose!” Marinette began to wave her arms as she spoke, but Adrien reached out a hand to stop her. 

“I meant what I said last night, Marinette. I don’t think I could ever get tired of having you around.” He sat down on the couch with a soft sigh of relief and started reconstructing their cocoon. “You’re not imposing at all. Now, come and cuddle this kitten. I’d bet anything you’re still exhausted from yesterday.” Once the cocoon was reconstructed, he patted the spot next to him, holding the covers open for her. She crawled in next to him and laid her head on his chest. Inside it, she could hear his heart fluttering in the same way hers was.

“Are _you_ okay? With this? With me? With… with all of this?” She hadn’t meant to ask such a big question, but she’d been dying to know.

“What’s not to be okay with? I’ve got the lady of my dreams - who also happens to be one of my best friends - in my arms _and_ I’ve got the day off. I’m the luckiest cat in all of Paris.” His eyes had been closed, but now she could see they were focused on her. “But what about you? Are you okay with all of this? With everything that happened?”

She thought for a moment, finger toying with a stray strand of hair that had slipped free from her pigtails. “It’s not how I wanted any of this to happen… But I’m so glad it did.”

“Good!” He kissed the top of her head gently. “Let’s get some rest, Bugaboo.”

Within moments they were both fast asleep. Up in the rafters two little pairs of eyes watched them with familiar fondness.

“It’s about time!” Plagg sighed. 

“Those two certainly took their time, I’ll admit.” Tikki giggled. Though she was exhausted, she was utterly overjoyed that her chosen had finally put all of the pieces together.

“Took their time?! Sugarcube, those two move slower than frozen molasses!”

“They go at the pace they’re comfortable with and not a moment faster. I can’t begrudge them that.”

“You can’t begrudge anyone anything, and you know it!” Tikki slapped a tiny paw over his mouth.

“Not so loud! You’ll wake them, Plagg!”

“Well what are _we_ supposed to _do_ then, Tikki! The kid’s got another alarm set to go off any minute anyway. Why not just wake them up now?” He grumbled. Tikki shushed him again.

“Shh… Just five more minutes… They need all the rest they can get after yesterday.”


End file.
